West Ocala residents don't want tent city in their area

Published: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 5:51 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, July 9, 2013 at 5:51 p.m.

Organizers behind the Open Arms Village, a proposed tent city for homeless people who want to turn their lives around, got a clear message Tuesday — Ocala west side residents do not want the facility in their backyard.

"We are open to looking at other sites," said Karla Grimsley, executive director of Interfaith Emergency Services, after the Governor's West Ocala Neighborhood Revitalization Council meeting Tuesday. "We are not set on anything. We're trying to come up with a solution."

Grimsley, along with Mayor Kent Guinn, is spearheading the project that would be modeled after Pinellas Hope, a tent city for homeless adults in St. Petersburg. Grimsley made a presentation during Tuesday's meeting and said they would only be working with 20 to 40 people who wanted help, and that the place would have buffering so it would not be visible.

"I don't think there's anybody in this building whose heart doesn't go out to the homeless," council board member June Dailey said. "My concern is the area where it's going."

The Open Arms steering committee and board have been working to develop a lease on a 9-acre piece of property owned by the city of Ocala and located roughly between Northwest 16th Road and Old Gainesville Road just south of Northwest 35th Street. The City Council, which has not been involved in the project, has not approved the lease.

Grimsley said her group is in the early planning stages. The site was selected because it was available, she said, and the group does not have money to buy land, so cannot choose a property.

Other proposed sites, such as land behind the Ocala Police Department, were deemed unsuitable for one reason or another. People at Tuesday's meeting said the project is not suitable for their neighborhood either.

"It's almost smack dab in the middle of many, many houses and schools," Dailey said.

Dailey said the Pinellas Hope project is in an industrial area, not a neighborhood.

Many present expressed concern they had not been advised about the project.

"It seems to me you have moved down the road without involving people that are affected directly," said John Middleton.

Middleton said democracy works when the good of the majority is considered.

"I would say we need to look for another site," he said. "To set this village, if you will, in close proximity to homes, houses and children, I think is irresponsible."

Grimsley said homeless people are living in the woods and are not monitored.

"Then find them a tent city, but don't locate it in our community," Middleton said about the largely African-American community. "We have enough problems to deal with without this."

James A. Curley Sr. said the Brady Owens VFW Post 7193 has purchased land to build a building not far from the proposed tent city. He said there is ample property in the city.

Steve Ehrhart, who is on the Open Arms Village steering committee, said he tried, unsuccessfully, to make contact with the VFW to talk about the project.

Valerie Thompson said her family owns 2½ acres in the area. She said she has offered homeless people employment and has given them money, which they spend on alcohol, but she is not saying there is not a need to help.

"I don't see you will be helping the homeless that are there," Thompson said. "I don't know anybody (who) is going to want it in their neighborhood."

"We are not going to be able to help everybody. We realize that," Ehrhart said, "but we also know there are people that want to get out of homelessness, who don't want to be drinking all day long."

Whitfield Jenkins, chairman of the Marion County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said there are historical reasons people on Ocala's west side would not want the project in their neighborhood — they have had many undesirable projects placed in their neighborhood, such as a sewer plant that "stinks for miles."

"People who live there know you keep doing this over and over again to a certain neighborhood and you won't do it to another neighborhood," Jenkins said referring to black and white communities. "We support you, but we are tired of you making these decisions that do something to one section of this city."

Rev. Lorenzo Edwards of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church said the church has repeatedly helped the homeless. He said property values on the west side already are low. He said if Open Arms needs to be near a bus route to get the homeless people to work, he suggested the bus route be expanded so the project can be somewhere else.

Shirley Woods, a retired sergeant from the Lowell prison, said Open Arms should work with the Salvation Army, which has about 10 acres of land off 14th Street.

"I think you should go there and work with those people and not come out here," Woods said. "You don't want them in your backyard and I don't want them in my backyard. And the mayor doesn't want them in his backyard because he doesn't want them on the (downtown) square."

A woman who lives in Marion Oaks said the project would empower the homeless. She went to Pinellas Hope and was impressed by the project, which is gated and secure.

Community activist Ruth Reed said she has been working on the city's Vision 2035 committee to enhance the west side.

"I challenge us today in the audience, volunteer. Find a place," Reed said. "So, we need to get busy and help this committee to do whatever needs to be done to make things better for our homeless."

Guinn, who said he was encouraged by the community's willingness to get on the Open Arms board or steering committee, said it's obvious that it doesn't appear "that's the site for that project."

"I think everybody agreed this was a good project, just not in that area," he said.

<p>Organizers behind the Open Arms Village, a proposed tent city for homeless people who want to turn their lives around, got a clear message Tuesday — Ocala west side residents do not want the facility in their backyard.</p><p>"We are open to looking at other sites," said Karla Grimsley, executive director of Interfaith Emergency Services, after the Governor's West Ocala Neighborhood Revitalization Council meeting Tuesday. "We are not set on anything. We're trying to come up with a solution."</p><p>Grimsley, along with Mayor Kent Guinn, is spearheading the project that would be modeled after Pinellas Hope, a tent city for homeless adults in St. Petersburg. Grimsley made a presentation during Tuesday's meeting and said they would only be working with 20 to 40 people who wanted help, and that the place would have buffering so it would not be visible.</p><p>"I don't think there's anybody in this building whose heart doesn't go out to the homeless," council board member June Dailey said. "My concern is the area where it's going."</p><p>The Open Arms steering committee and board have been working to develop a lease on a 9-acre piece of property owned by the city of Ocala and located roughly between Northwest 16th Road and Old Gainesville Road just south of Northwest 35th Street. The City Council, which has not been involved in the project, has not approved the lease.</p><p>Grimsley said her group is in the early planning stages. The site was selected because it was available, she said, and the group does not have money to buy land, so cannot choose a property.</p><p>Other proposed sites, such as land behind the Ocala Police Department, were deemed unsuitable for one reason or another. People at Tuesday's meeting said the project is not suitable for their neighborhood either.</p><p>"It's almost smack dab in the middle of many, many houses and schools," Dailey said.</p><p>Dailey said the Pinellas Hope project is in an industrial area, not a neighborhood.</p><p>Many present expressed concern they had not been advised about the project.</p><p>"It seems to me you have moved down the road without involving people that are affected directly," said John Middleton.</p><p>Middleton said democracy works when the good of the majority is considered.</p><p>"I would say we need to look for another site," he said. "To set this village, if you will, in close proximity to homes, houses and children, I think is irresponsible."</p><p>Grimsley said homeless people are living in the woods and are not monitored.</p><p>"Then find them a tent city, but don't locate it in our community," Middleton said about the largely African-American community. "We have enough problems to deal with without this."</p><p>James A. Curley Sr. said the Brady Owens VFW Post 7193 has purchased land to build a building not far from the proposed tent city. He said there is ample property in the city.</p><p>"Find another piece," Curley said. "We don't want that in our backyard."</p><p>Steve Ehrhart, who is on the Open Arms Village steering committee, said he tried, unsuccessfully, to make contact with the VFW to talk about the project.</p><p>Valerie Thompson said her family owns 2½ acres in the area. She said she has offered homeless people employment and has given them money, which they spend on alcohol, but she is not saying there is not a need to help.</p><p>"I don't see you will be helping the homeless that are there," Thompson said. "I don't know anybody (who) is going to want it in their neighborhood."</p><p>"We are not going to be able to help everybody. We realize that," Ehrhart said, "but we also know there are people that want to get out of homelessness, who don't want to be drinking all day long."</p><p>Whitfield Jenkins, chairman of the Marion County branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said there are historical reasons people on Ocala's west side would not want the project in their neighborhood — they have had many undesirable projects placed in their neighborhood, such as a sewer plant that "stinks for miles."</p><p>"People who live there know you keep doing this over and over again to a certain neighborhood and you won't do it to another neighborhood," Jenkins said referring to black and white communities. "We support you, but we are tired of you making these decisions that do something to one section of this city."</p><p>Rev. Lorenzo Edwards of Mt. Moriah Missionary Baptist Church said the church has repeatedly helped the homeless. He said property values on the west side already are low. He said if Open Arms needs to be near a bus route to get the homeless people to work, he suggested the bus route be expanded so the project can be somewhere else.</p><p>Shirley Woods, a retired sergeant from the Lowell prison, said Open Arms should work with the Salvation Army, which has about 10 acres of land off 14th Street.</p><p>"I think you should go there and work with those people and not come out here," Woods said. "You don't want them in your backyard and I don't want them in my backyard. And the mayor doesn't want them in his backyard because he doesn't want them on the (downtown) square."</p><p>A woman who lives in Marion Oaks said the project would empower the homeless. She went to Pinellas Hope and was impressed by the project, which is gated and secure.</p><p>Community activist Ruth Reed said she has been working on the city's Vision 2035 committee to enhance the west side.</p><p>"I challenge us today in the audience, volunteer. Find a place," Reed said. "So, we need to get busy and help this committee to do whatever needs to be done to make things better for our homeless."</p><p>Guinn, who said he was encouraged by the community's willingness to get on the Open Arms board or steering committee, said it's obvious that it doesn't appear "that's the site for that project."</p><p>"I think everybody agreed this was a good project, just not in that area," he said.</p><p><i>Contact Susan Latham Carr at 867-4156 or susan.carr@starbanner.com.</i></p>